Why socialism is back on the agenda
By Pip Hinman
"The United Nations annual Human Development Report confirms, yet again, that capitalism has failed the majority of the world's people", said Max Lane, the foreign affairs spokesperson for the Democratic Socialists. The report says that gross inequalities between rich and poor countries are worsening, with 20% of the world's population accounting for 86% of consumption.
"It is obscene that the wealth of just one man, Bill Gates, is enough to achieve and maintain universal access to basic education and health care, safe water and sanitation", Lane told Green Left Weekly.
According to the report, the combined wealth of the 225 richest people in the world is more than $1.7 trillion, which is equal to the annual income of some 2.5 billion people or 47% of the world's population. The three richest people/families in the world — Gates ($84.7 billion), the Walton family, owners of Wal-Mart stores in the US, ($81 billion) and Warren Buffett ($56 billion) — have assets exceeding the combined gross domestic products of the 48 least developed countries.
"Inequalities of this scale, correctly described by the report's main author as 'grotesque', are endemic to a system which puts profits before people's needs", Lane said. "This report reminds us we must redouble our efforts to fight for fundamental social and economic change, otherwise we can be sure that the rich will continue to get richer and the poor more destitute."
It's not a coincidence that this UN report has been ignored by the establishment parties in this election campaign, Lane said. "The reason is that Labor and the Coalition are the parties of big capital; elections are 'bought' by big business through their control of the media and large donations.
"While the two parties pretend to be concerned about people's livelihoods, in government they rule for the rich, and that includes the rich overseas."
This is also the reason why foreign policy matters have been sidelined during the campaign. Both parties wholeheartedly endorse the US-Australia military alliance, which includes joint military facilities and regular military exercises with so-called allies, including militarist regimes such as Indonesia's.
Military ties
The Democratic Socialists call for an end to ties with the "New World Order". This means closing down the US-Australian military facilities, ending the US-Australia military alliance and working towards the eventual elimination of armaments internationally, with a total ban on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
"We believe that military spending should be cut, and military aid and Australian involvement in the arms trade stopped. The funds should be redirected to socially useful and peaceful purposes", said John Percy, Democratic Socialist candidate for Sydney.
The Democratic Socialists call for support for people's democratic rights in every country. This stands in stark contrast to the major parties, which give priority to economic ties and the profit levels of a handful of Australian companies.
"For instance, Labor supported Indonesia's invasion and occupation of East Timor in 1975 and, despite the overwhelming sentiment of the majority of Indonesians, did not call for an end to ties with dictator Suharto", Lane said.
"Labor's recent attempts to distance itself from its unpopular anti-East Timor, pro-Indonesian regime policy have backfired. While Laurie Brereton, Labor's foreign policy spokesperson, is promising a special envoy for East Timor and says Labor would support self-determination, [former Labor PM] Gough Whitlam's comments that Australia should not be apologetic for its stand in 1975 remind us that Labor cannot be trusted."
It is because East Timor has become a nationwide concern, due to the efforts of the East Timorese, the Indonesians and the solidarity movements, that the ALP and Brereton talk differently now, Lane said. "However, we shouldn't forget that it was also Labor who signed the Timor Gap oil treaty and the special 'security' treaty with Indonesia, and maintained close military ties with Suharto."
"If Labor was really serious about its change of heart it would make an unqualified statement that in government it will withdraw recognition of Indonesia's illegal occupation of East Timor. As well, to be credible, the new policy must state that all economic aid to East Timor will go through East Timorese organisations, rather than through the Indonesian government", Percy added.
The Democratic Socialists are also calling on the Australian government to support self-determination in West Papua and Bougainville; end ties with the Burmese military dictatorship; and support the right of Tamil people to self-determination in Sri Lanka.
The Australian government should also oppose the US economic blockade of Cuba, and the sanctions against Iraq and Libya, they say.
Aid
The UN report has also highlighted the dwindling amount of foreign aid to underdeveloped countries. Australia's overseas aid, at 0.27% of gross national product, is at its lowest level ever.
The Democratic Socialists call for humanitarian aid to be boosted to at least the 1% of GNP, as recommended by the UN. They also call for the cancellation of the Third World debt, which is crippling any chance of development for more than half of humanity.
"We should also work towards establishing fairer terms of trade between the developed and underdeveloped world", Percy said.
All international agencies (UN, IMF, World Bank and World Trade Organisation) should be restructured on the basis of population represented, not funds contributed. In addition, the UN permanent members category, which has turned the UN into a servant of western interests, should be eliminated.
"Despite agreements to reduce nuclear weapons, the threat of self-destruction — from accumulated nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, or as a result of the poisoning of the ecosphere — continues to loom over humanity. Famine, desertification, greenhouse, ozone depletion, epidemics of old and new diseases all threaten the planet with a nightmarish future", Lane added.
"These problems ultimately stem from an unjust social system based on the private enrichment of the super-rich few in the industrialised countries of North America, western Europe, Japan and Australia", Percy says.
"The governments under their control meet the struggles of the impoverished and oppressed in the Third World, not with human solidarity and assistance, but with economic and military aggression." The Democratic Socialists call for an end to Australia's role in supporting this unjust international order.
In Lane's words: "Humanity has already built up the knowledge and productive capacity to satisfy the basic material, social and cultural needs of the entire human race. This potential is being squandered by the greed and selfishness of a tiny minority. Capitalism has failed miserably, and the only workable alternative is socialism."